By Bobor Dan Kamara
On June 7, 2025, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) will go to the poll to elect a new president and an executive.
A total of 450 active paid-up members have been vetted for the civic exercise, aiming at electing SLAJ’s 13th president to succeed two-term prexy Ahmad Sahid Nasralla.
For the June elections, Mustapha M. K. Sesay and Alhaji Maninka Kamara are up for the presidential hot seat. They both possess proven, relevant experience in the media landscape and in SLAJ executives, both serving in the capacity of National Secretary General.
Mustapha M. K. Sesay, a household name in the media landscape, is seen by some media practitioners as an individual who possesses wealth of experience in advancing laws and reforms for press freedom and protection of journalists. He has served as a commissioner of the Independent Media Commissioner (IMC).
On the other hand, Alhaji Maninka Kamara, the current Secretary General of SLAJ who doubles as the News Editor of Awoko Newspaper, has contributed immensely in advocating press freedom and the attainment of the repeal of part V of the public Order act of 1965 which criminalized journalism. He has bagged a series of national and international awards in his undistracted 15 years of practising journalism.
Both Kamara and Sesay have received endorsements from veterans and active journalists, making it unclear to genuinely predict the victor of the much anticipated June 7 elections.
Both candidates have expressed plans to advocate the welfare of journalists and the advancement of press freedom, among others.
